Summer EBT launch! 6/11 special Coalition mtg, & action alerts.

06/05/24

Timely updates below! Please join us on Tuesday for a special Coalition meeting!

Massachusetts Summer EBT plan approved by USDA - Tues. June 11 special Coalition meeting & next steps!

We are thrilled to share that DTA got federal approval to launch Summer EBT. Summer EBT is a new, permanent summer food benefit. Here is Governor Healey’s press release, and DTA’s Summer EBT FAQ page is here: Mass.gov/SummerEBT. 

 

MLRI will have a special SNAP Coalition meeting on Summer EBT on Tuesday, June 11 from 10-11 AM. Register here to learn more about Summer EBT and what you can do to make sure eligible families get this benefit this summer! DTA will be there as well to answer questions. Please share this meeting registration widely! 

 

What you need to know now about Summer EBT- we will cover the below and more on Tuesday!

 

  • Summer EBT = $120 per eligible child in federal food dollars, on an EBT card, to be used like SNAP wherever SNAP is accepted (grocery stores, participating farmers markets, etc). 

    • Summer EBT does not count for HIP, households can only get HIP if they get SNAP.  

  • DTA will issue Summer EBT to hundreds of thousands of kids around July 25. Kids who qualify after July 25 will be issued Summer EBT on a rolling basis. 

    • It will go onto DTA SNAP EBT cards for families getting SNAP in July. 

    • It will go onto Summer EBT cards for families who are not on SNAP. DTA will start mailing out Summer EBT cards in July. 

  • Summer EBT will be automatically issued to the majority of eligible kids. This means most families do not need to apply! For example, families who got SNAP, TAFDC, or certain types of MassHealth during the 2023-2024 school year do not need to apply. We do not want to cause confusion and make families who do not need to apply think they do! 

  • For families who do need to apply, the online Summer EBT application will be available on June 15. Stay tuned for more information on paper applications. 

  • Unlike SNAP, Summer EBT has a 4 month expungement timeline - Summer EBT expires 4 months from the date it is issued. It is critical to make sure families not on SNAP get their Summer EBT card quickly when DTA issues it. 

Sign on to national letter opposing any cuts to SNAP in the Farm Bill 

Thank you so much again for your robust support to our Massachusetts delegation opposing threatened cuts to SNAP (113 MA organizations! WOW!). Our national partners Coalition on Human Needs and the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) are now organizing a national letter opposing these proposed cuts - they're hoping to get over 1,000 organizations on the letter! Please join us by reading the letter and signing on here. 

Recent studies show expanding & improving SNAP is critical to reduce food insecurity

As national conversations continue on the Farm Bill, we wanted to flag two recent studies underscoring how critical SNAP is, and the need to improve SNAP - not cut it. 

 

  1. Greater Boston Food Bank’s fourth annual statewide report on food insecurity in Massachusetts (and see Boston Globe coverage): “The majority of SNAP participants — 67 percent — still identified themselves as food-insecure, and 64 percent of SNAP recipients in the study said their benefits covered two weeks or less of their household’s food budget.”

 

  1. Urban Institute report: Does SNAP Cover the Cost of a Meal in Your County?  In the last quarter of 2023, the cost of a moderately priced meal was between 28% (Bristol County) to 70% (Nantucket and Dukes counties) higher than the maximum SNAP benefit in Massachusetts! See county by county data for the state here.  

Massachusetts Poverty Commission Hearing at Cambridge City Hall on June 11


The Massachusetts Poverty Commission, co-chaired by Senator Sal DiDomenico and Representative Marjorie Decker, is holding a public hearing in Cambridge on June 11. The Commission invites interested organizations and individuals to sign up to testify virtually or in person at the public hearing on June 11 from 3-6 PM. Those who wish to testify must register in advance with this google form. The commission also welcomes written testimony at any time by emailing Kerwin Amo (kerwin.amo@mahouse.gov).